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The Mokuleia Islands (commonly referred to by locals as “The Mokes”) off the eastern shoreline of Oahu are one of the most picturesque locations in the state. In between the islands and the shoreline sits a relatively shallow channel with a bottom that is made up of a combination of sand and coral heads. This channel is narrow enough to traverse relatively easily on a kayak or a stand up paddle board. Today we decided to go out with Windward Watersports for a trip out to the islands on stand up paddle boards.… (more info)

In 1904 a man named John Hind began construction on an aqueduct in the rain forest on the North end of the Big Island in a region known as Kohala. When it was completed in 1906 it provided enough water to farm over 13,000 acres of sugar cane. Things were good until 1975 when the final harvest was made and the sugar company shut its doors for good. The ditch remained intact and is now used by Kohala Ditch Adventures for their Kohala Kayak Tour. We got an early start from Kona so we would have plenty of time to make the drive north along the coast to the town of Hawi. There was barely any traffic and it didn’t take long before we were there. The headquarters was located just a few minutes past Hawi towards the end of the road...… (more info)

Until I got to experience a ride on a glider for myself I had no idea how cool these machines are. When to tow line dropped and we were on our own we really were quietly coasting through the air like a bird. I met up with the Original Glider Rides at the Dillingham Airfield on the north shore of Oahu. I checked in under the pavilion and was told that it would be a few minutes before my pilot landed from his previous trip so I decided to go outside and look around the airstrip and see if I could spot my pilot flying around over the airfield.The Dillingham Airfield has quite a history. The original use of the area was to house a communications station called Camp Kawaihapai. The camp was constructed in 1922. Then in 1941, the Army leased additional land surrounding the camp to construct the Mokule’ia Airfield. The P-40’s that were stationed… (more info)

The sport of Parasailing was was given birth during an experiment by a French skydiving instructor named Piere Lamoigne. Piere was looking for an easier way to get his students into the air then dropping them out of a plane when he first tied a parachute onto a rope behind his car. Because the whole purpose of the experiment was to get the parachute into the air, Pierre called his creation “Parascending”. It was not long before Parascending was adapted to the marine environment and the sport or Parasailing was born. Until mid 70’s the sport of parasailing was reserved for risk takers and dare devils because of the accidents that were common during takeoff and landing. Then a young entrepreneur named Mark McCulloh developed a new design that changed the industry forever.… (more info)

When you’re in the middle of downtown Honolulu it is hard to believe that in just a few minute drive you can be in the middle of the jungle, without another person in sight. Bike Hawaii offers a Bike and Hike tour that will pick you up in Waikiki and take you a few minutes up the hill to see some of the most beautiful scenery that Oahu has to offer. Our guide picked us up from the Ala Moana Hotel in a white 14 passenger van with a “Bike Hawaii” logo on the door. He introduced himself as “Cory” as he swung the vans door open for us to get in. There were a few other members of the group that were already seated in the van that Cory introduced us to as we climbed in to occupy two vacant seats… (more info)

Swimming with the dolphins in the wild is something that can be easily arranged by Tom Barefoot’s Tours for anyone vacationing on the Big Island. Unlike the whales dolphins are in Hawaii year round. They do not migrate long distances and generally follow the same daily routines making them relatively easy for an experienced captain to find if they look in the right areas. Captain “China” Mike of the Big Island snorkel company “Sunlight on Water” operates a dolphin snorkel that is different from most. With his trip the goal is not to view the dolphins from the boat, but to actually get in the water and swim around with them. As you can imagine, I was eager to see what this trip was all about and jumped at the opportunity to check it out when I was recently on the Big Island.… (more info)

The Twogood Kayaks van pulled up to pick us up in front of our hotel in Waikiki. The van driver go out of the van, introduced himself, then opened the door and invited us in. We got in the van and buckled in for the 20 minute trip across the island to the Twogood Kayaks Headquarters. Our driver slowed to a stop at the back entrance to the Twogood Kayaks shop in downtown Kailua. We exited the van and went into the shop to get geared up for the days adventures. One member of the Twogood crew that was inside handed out the gear. He went over the sizing individually with each person to be sure there wouldn't be any issues with the gear after the group left the shop. … (more info)

It was a typical bright sunny day in South Maui as we headed down to Makena to go for a sunset sail with Kai Kanani Catamaran. As we walked along the grassy path to the beach we saw the beautiful catamaran coming towards the shore. It gently glided up on the sand and we were welcomed aboard by the crew. This was my first time on this boat and I was quite amazed by its size and roominess. There were only about 20 people on board today so there was plenty of room to walk around and take in the sights.
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We showed up to our pickup location about a ten minutes earlier then they requested just in case we ran into any issues finding the pickup area. We were to meet a bus that was going to take us to the Aloha Tower Marketplace where we were to meet the Star of Honolulu. The bus showed up right on time and a representative from the Star of Honolulu came out to greet us. He asked if we we're the Barefoot party and we replied that we were. He checked our names off of his list, gave us each a boarding pass and directed us up the stairs of the bus. We made our way to our seats as the bus eased away from the curb and back into the traffic.… (more info)

Kualoa Ranch is one of the premiere attractions on the island of Oahu. It is a 4000 acre working cattle ranch that was established in 1850. Stretching from the mouth of Kaneohe Bay to the adjacent Kaaawa Valley, its’ beauty has not gone unnoticed. Hollywood has had a long relationship with Kualoa. Films such as Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, 50 First Dates, Windtalkers, Godzilla, Tears of the Sun and the new Magnum PI series have all been shot on Kualoa Ranch. Access to the ranch is not limited to high dollar Hollywood big shots; there are also day packages available to the public.… (more info)

The Waipio Valley on the Big Island is estimated to have once been the home to a city of over 50,000 Hawaiians. The amount of history and beauty that exists in this place is unbelievable and if you have enough time to make it up here on your visit to the Big Island, you should. If you do decide to make the journey to Waipio once you arrive you will find out that it is an area that is best suited for those that posses a 4wd vehicle. The walls of the valley are incredibly steep and to access the bottom you definitely need a rig that has 4wd or you’ll never make it back out. If you would prefer to not go through the struggle you can settle for viewing the valley from the look out at the end of the road, but you might be disappointed if you find out that there is another lookout on private land that allows you to see much more of the valley, including the 1000+ foot waterfall near the back. Riding an ATV or traveling there on horseback is the only way one can access this private viewpoint. … (more info)

Sharks are one of nature’s most revered predators. Since the beginning of time man has waged a battle with these creatures for undisputed rights to the top slot at the summit of the food chain. While man has long since figured out methods of neutralizing the threat of sharks with technology, the fact still remains that without these tools the shark is still a very real threat. This primal fear makes it that much more of a rush to be able to interact with them in the wild and I think that is one of the reasons why the shark cage tour is so popular with our clients.
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Manta Rays eat plankton and can be found all over the state of Hawaii. However, there is one particular place on the Big Island where they are found so frequently, that an entire industry has been created from how consistently you can go diving with them. Each ray is named and cataloged and the majority of the rays that you'll see when diving here are not strangers to the area.

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Sailing is something that has always interested me. It's ability to tap into a renewable energy resource that has the ability to take you around the world brings with it a certain allure. I've always taken advantage of any opportunity to go on a sailboat and when I got the invitation to go on a sunset sail with Mauna Lani Sea Adventures I was quick to accept. The boat departs out of the Mauna Lani / Waikaloa area.
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The Royal Kona Resort Luau is located in the heart of Kona town in-between Ali'i Drive and the ocean. When we pulled up to the check in I could hear the waves crashing against the rocks at the edge of the luau grounds. As we checked in we were given leis and before we made our way to the bar to sample their specialty drinks. The bar was a self serve open bar with an assortment of large bowls of premixed cocktails. After we finished getting our drinks we made our way to our seats.
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